Automatic shut-off valve



Oct. 20,1925.

w. E. .JOHNSTON AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF VALVE Filed' Nov. 21 1924 Patented (let. 20, 1925i.

Unirse srarss WAYBURN E. JOHNSTON, 0i? IVINNEAPOLS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF VALVE.

Application filed November 21, 1924.-. Serial No. 751,283.

To ZZ 'whom t may conce/m:

Be it known that l, llVaYnUnN l. elor-ins- Vron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county ot Hennepin and State ont Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in an automatic Shut-@ff Valve; and l do hereby declare the tollowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-tion 'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same.

This invention relates to a valve and particularly to an automatic shut-olil vvalve used for fluids. llVhile the valve can be used with various fluids, one particular use thereof is on fuel oil lines. Such automat-ic valves have a passage for the fluid and a check valve usually in the shape of a ball, at one side of this passage. When an er:- cessive liow ot' oil occurs the check valve or ball is moved against its seat and thus closes the passage and the flow oli' oil. At the other side or' the passage a manually movable valve ot the ordinary type is arranged to close the passage. lt has been proposed to have a projection extending from this latter valve through the passage so that when the latter valve is closed the projection would engage the check valve or ball when in contact with its seat and move the check valve or ball from its seat. lVith such an arrangement, however, it is possible to close the manually operated valve suiiiciently to have the ball pushed from its seat by said projection and yet still have the manually operated valve open. lVith such an arrangement, a workman could manipulate the valve so that the automatic closing ieature was rendered inoperative and the valve still be open. Vllhis operation ot the valve by worlnnen has been quite common in many places and was one great objection to such automatic valve and prevented such a valve Jtrom being approved by the underwriters.

lt is an object ot' this invention to provide an automatic shut-off valve which will close upon an excessive `flow ot fluid, which can be positively closed manually and one which cannot be placed in a position with the automatic valve rendered inoperative.

It is a further object ot the invention to provide such a valve having a fluid passage with the check alve in one side adapted to close upon encessive low ot the 'Huid and having a manually operated valve at the other side of said passage, which valve has means thereon arranged to lit and move into said passage as the latter valve approaches its seat, which means also carries means projecting through the passage to engage the check valve and push the latter from its seat.

lt is more specifically an object ot the invention to provide such a valve comprising` a member having a passage therethrough having a valve seat at one side adapted to be engaged by a ball upon eX- cessive iow oit' the fluid, said passage having a valve seat atits other side adapted to be engaged by a manually and positively movable valve, which latter valve has a cylindrical plug projecting therefrom arranged to fit and move into the said passage as the latter valve approaches its seat, which plug has a projection adapted to extend through the passage and push the ball from' its seat.

rllhese and other objects and advantages ot the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters reifer tothe same parts throughout the different views, and in which,

Fig. l is a view in central vertical section of the valve;

Fig. 2 is a partial view of the valve partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section, said view being taken at right angles to that in Fig, l; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 ot Fig. l, as indicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, a valve is shown comprising a valve body 4 having an interiorly threaded portion 5 adapted to bc connectedto the inlet conduit or pipe and an interiorly threaded portion 6 adapted to be connected to the outlet conduit or pipe. A passage 7 is formed in the body 4 and while this passage may be of any desired shape in cross section, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as ot circular shape in cross section. At the inlet side ot the passage 7 is a valve seat 8 and a ball 9 is carried in the somewhat enlarged chamber ot the body el below said seat, said ball normally being supported on a member l0 extending transversely of said chamber and which, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, is shown as a cylindrical screw. rllhe ball 9 is adapted to fill engage the seat S at certain times and thus close the passage T. At the upper side of passage T is formed a valve seat 11 adapted to be engaged by the :truste-conical or beveled surface of a valve 12. This valve 12 has a floating or swiveled connection to a valve stem 13 threaded, as usual, into a valve head l-l screwed into the body -l and extending through the stufiing cap 15 threaded onto the head 1d, said stem carrying an operating hand wheel 16 at its upper end. lii'hile t-he stein 13 may be connected to the valve 12 in any common and well known manner to provide the swivelled connection in the enibodiment of the invention illustrated, the stem is shown as having a flanged head 15 thereon oi' larger diameter than the main portion of the stem. The valve 12 is 'formed with a chamber, the bottom of which substantially lits the member 13 and a flanged bushing 131 is threaded into valve l2 against the flange on said head, thus forming a float-ing or swiveled connection. The particular type of connection between the valve and stem illust-rated may be varied, as such specific connection forms no part of the present invention. The valve 12 has projecting from its lower side a cylindrical plug 12a which is formed to closely lit thel passage T and forms a closing means therefor, and the plug 12a has a projection 12J extending downwardly and centrallj7 therefrom forming means to engage the ball 9 when the same is in contact with its seat.

ln operation, when fluid is passing through the valve in a normal manner the valve 12 will be raised above its seat with the plug 12@ and 12b entirely above the valve seat 11. 1t will be noted that the chamber containing ball il is somewhat enlarged so that a ii'ree and unrestricted passage of the fluid is permitted. lit' there should be an excessive flow ofI fluid due to a break in the line beyond the valve or from some other cause, the ball S) will be carried along by the fluid and pushed against its sea-t 8. This will thus automatically shut ofi' the flow of fluid or oil. lf it should be attempted to set the valve in position with the ball 9 pushed from its seat, the plug 12a will enter the passaeje i' and close the. same so that no matter ilY valve l2 is slightly open, as shown in TEig. L, passage '2' will be closed by a plug 12H. lt is impossible therefore to set the valve with the ball el held 'from its seat and the valve 12 open and still have the passage open. in order to open the passage 'i' it is necessary to withdraw they plug 12a therefrom and il' this done, the ball 9 is free to be moved against its seat 8 by an excessive flow of oil so that the automatic feature is always preserved.

liVhen the plug 12:L lits the passage 7, thc projection 12b is not absolutely necessary.

. llyhen the valve 12 is moved toward closing position and the plug 12a enters the passage T with ball 9 in closed position, the plug presses on the column of oil in the passage T above the hall l) and the hall is thus forced from its seat by this oil herfore being contacted h v projection 12b. if the plug 12. however does not lit itairly closely in passage 'i' the projection 12b is necessary.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has proeiled a very simple and eliicient automatic shut-olf valve. The valve includes both the positive closing meam and `the automatic shut-oil' means and. as above se forth, rannot he placed in position with automatic shut-oil rendered inoperative. The valve can he made practically as cheaply as the objeciiouahle valves ofthe prior art. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and has gone into conmiercial use and has been given great approval.

it will, of course, he understood. that various changes may be made in the form, detailsy arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope Of applicanls invention. which, generally stated, consists in a device f'apable of carrying` out the objects above set forth, such as shown and described and defined in the appended claims.

.Vhat is claimed is:

1. An automatic shut-oil valve for fluid comprising a body having a fluid passage therethrough, a check valve at one side of said passage adapted to seat on an excessive flow of fluid, and a manually movable valve at the other side of said passage adapted to close said passao'e, said valve having means thereon fitting said passage substantially to close Athe same` and means carried by said first mentioned means eX- tending through said passage for engaging said check valve when closed to open the same before said second mentioned valve seats.

2. An automatic shut-off valve Jfor fluid comprising` a. body having a fluid passage therethrough, a valve seat at one side of said passage, a ball at said side adapted to engage said seat upon an excessive flow of huid, a valve seat. at the other side of said passage, a valve adapted to be manually moved against said latter seat.y said valve having a projection thereon fitting and adapted to extend into said passage substantially to close the same, said projection having a further projection thereon adapted to contact said ball when engaged with said first mentioned valve seat and push the same from its seat before said valve engages its seat.

2l. n automatic shut-off valve for oil or other fluid con'lprising` a member having a cylindrical passage therethrough. a valve seat at one side of said passage, a chamber adjacent said valve seal', a hall loosely mounted in'said chamber and adapted to move against said valve seat and close said passage upon excessive How of oil, a valve seat at the other side of said passage, a

floating Valve manually movable against said latter seat, said latter valve having a cylindrical plug projering therefrom adapted to it and extend into said passage and said plug having a projection extending therefrom adapted to projectthrough said passage andengage said hall when the latter is in Contact with its seal'.

4. An automatic shut-off valve for fluid comprising a body having a fluid passage therethrough, a c'heok valve at one side of said passage adapted to sea-t on an exessive flow of fluid, and a manually movable Valve at the other side of said passage adapted to close said passage, said valve having means thereon ittingv said passage substantially to close the same, whereby when said means enters said passage With the cheek valve closed, the latter will be forced open by the pressure of fluid in said passage.

In testimony whereof I alli); my signature.

TAYBVRN l. JOHNSTON. 

